Silver Lining Playbook

What do you see? Young lady or old hag?

What about now? A vase or two faces?

Okay, one more...silver lining or dark cloud?

Our eyes don't always play tricks on us. Sometimes, our mind is just programmed to see things a certain way based upon our experiences.

Things in this life we face, either fall into the category of negative or positive. Curse or blessing. Good or bad. Of course this is only true in the physical realm. When we spend time basking in the presence of our Lord (time in His word, understanding His ways, worshipping His greatness), we end up adopting His mindset about the things we face in our lives.

I find it ironic that the Lord asked us to "only believe", to "have faith" and to not depend on our sight. Perhaps He knew that our perceptual vision can often be blurred, not quite "20/20" (if you will) and ultimately THAT vision will fail us.

Let's take for example the men in Numbers 13. God had promised His children would live in Canaan. He literally told them, He was giving them that land (vs 2)! Only 26 verses later (some 40 days later) those men came back to report on what the land was like. Yes, there was bountiful land, flowing with milk and honey & luscious fruits (vs 27) but all they could see were the "giants" living there (vs 28, 31) and immediately they felt defeated. What they didn't "see" was that their faith should have been on the promise because then instead of seeing a dark cloud (the giants), they would see the silver lining (that God would give them victory).

Maybe all you can see in your life is failure after failure, valleys come quicker and longer than mountain tops, and constant defeat. Go back and visit God's promises towards you. Perception in our lives as believers is everything. Jesus challenges us with these words, "Blessed is He who doesn't see and yet still believes." (John 20:29)

Let's not forget that 'whatever the enemy means for evil, God intends for good' (Gen 50:20). God is able to use your failures, defeats and valleys to accomplish His victorious purpose in your life! View your failures, valleys and defeats from a silver lining vantage point knowing & believing that God has purpose in everything He both does & allows in our lives. That purpose is for good, a future & hope (Jeremiah 29:11)!

~Be Refreshed